Milwaukee
Brewers

News: The New York Post has confirmed that the Mets are interested in free agent pitcher Ben Sheets.
Impact: That's 2008, not 2009, free agent Ben Sheets. The injury prone pitcher has not pitched in a major league game since September 27, 2008. Now 31 years old, you have to wonder whether or not he will be the same pitcher whenever he finally does step on the mound again. 

News: According to FoxSports.com, the New York Mets might have some interest in starting pitcher Ben Sheets. Sheets is expected to be 100 percent by the start of spring training this season.
Impact: The Mets are interested in adding another arm, and Sheets is just one of the players the team has shown some interest in. If Sheets proves he is fully recovered, he should get plenty of interest around the league. 

News: Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman is reporting that the Brewers intend to lock-up superstar first baseman Prince Fielder this offseason.
Impact: Prince had another monster year in 2009, bashing 46 home runs to go along with a major league leading 141 RBI. While the Brewers are small market, they drew over three million fans in 2009, and are believed to have the cash to keep Fielder in Wisconsin for a long time. 

News: The Brewers claimed Kottaras off release waivers, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports.
Impact: With Jason Kendall unlikely to return in 2010, the Brewers are adding depth behind the plate in an effort to support the development of top catching prospect Jonathan Lucroy. General manager Doug Melvin is planning on giving Lucroy an invitation to spring training, but Kottaras could be a viable option to share the workload this season after he was a spare part in Boston in 2009. 

News: The Milwaukee Brewers have claimed catcher George Kottaras off waivers from Boston, according to the Twitter page of baseball writer Mike Siano.
Impact: Kottaras isn't anything more than depth, and he won't warrant any fantasy consideration. Heis in a better situation in Milwaukee than he would have been in Boston, however. 

News: ESPN's Buster Olney reports that the Yankees and Red Sox are among the 12 teams that have shown interest in Brewers utilityman Craig Counsell.
Impact: That's a heavy amount of interest in one very light bat. The 39-year-old Counsell did manage to get on base at a clip of .357 in 130 games in 2009, but it's hard to see him repeating that feat in 2010.  

News: According to Phil Rodgers of the Chicago Tribune, the Milwaukee Brewers might be reluctant to trade infield prospect Mat Gamel this winter. Gamel became expendable after the breakout year by Casey McGehee.
Impact: Gamel is a power-hitting lefty who has a ton of potential, but the team is set on the infield with McGehee, Ricky Weeks, and Alcides Escobar. They might not want to trade him, but it makes sense to include him in a package if they want to get an impact arm.  

News: The Brewers declined their $6.5 million option on Looper(knee) for the 2010 season on Friday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Impact: Looper will become a free agent and receive a $1 million buyout. He led the Brewers with 14 wins in 2009, but also allowed 39 home runs and had a 5.22 ERA. MLB.com reports that Brewers GM Doug Melvin may consider Looper for next season, but needed flexibility to pursue other pitchers. Looper is unlikely to receive a contract as high as $6.5 million in the free agent market. 

News: Ben Sheets says he plans to be ready for Spring Training next season, according t ESPN.
Impact: File this one under "believe it when you see it." If teams do see it, however, expect there to be a lot of interest in the 31-year-old (former?) power pitcher.  

News: The Brewers have declined their $6.5 million mutual option on Looper, electing to pay the pitcher a $1 million buyout. The team had until Saturday to decide whether to exercise the option on the 35-year-old right-hander, who now becomes eligible for free agency.
Impact: After signing with the Brewers as a free agent on Feb. 12, he went 14-7 with a 5.22 ERA. He made at least 30 starts for the third straight season and established a career high in wins, which led the team. He also set a franchise record with 39 homers allowed, which led the majors, while also topping big league pitchers in runs (123). 

News: The Brewers have declined Braden Looper's $6.5 million 2010 team option, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Impact: They will instead pay him a $1 million buyout. Looper went 14-7 in 34 starts for the Brewers last season, but posted a 5.22 ERA and 1.49 WHIP, and allowed a garish 39 home runs, the most in the majors. Expect him to sign a very cheap one year deal with a National League club. 

News: DiFelice was added back to the 40-man roster on Monday.
Impact: He should be a part of the team's bullpen again in 2010 after a strong 48:15 K:BB ratio in 51.2 innings last season. DiFelice was hit hard during the second half of the season (7.27 ERA), so it will be interesting to see if he's able to regain his previous form and lock down a spot in middle relief. 

News: Riske (elbow) was added back to the team's 40-man roster on Monday.
Impact: He'll likely go right back on the DL at the start of the 2010 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June. Riske will be in the final year of a three-year contract that hasn't resulted in many productive innings out of the Milwaukee bullpen. It's possible that he'll return to contribute after the All-Star break. 

News: Weeks (wrist) was reinstated from the 60-day DL on Monday.
Impact: He's supposed to be ready for the start of spring training, but it's worth keeping an eye on the Brewers' moves this winter to see how much they invest in an insurance policy at second base. 

News: Cameron filed for free agency on Monday, ending his two-year tenure with the Brewers.
Impact: Cameron's spot will be taken by Carlos Gomez, who was acquired Friday from Minnesota for shortstop J.J. Hardy. Cameron hit .250 with 24 homers and 70 RBIs last season. 

News: GM Doug Melvin said that he thinks Salome needs another year in the minors during an interview on WSSP radio.
Impact: Salome, 23, was limited to just 82 games at Triple-A Nashville in 2009 due to injuries. He hit .286/.334/.413 during that time, and is still considered one of Milwaukee's better prospects, but he's been passed by Jonathon Lucroy on the depth chart. 

News: GM Doug Melvin said that Lucroy would be considered for the starting catcher position in Milwaukee next spring during an interview on WSSP.
Impact: Lucroy, 23, is currently hitting .364/.371/.576 in the Arizona Fall League. There are no guarantees, but Melvin sounded very confident in Lucroy. The Brewers will likely not bring back Jason Kendall and are looking at different options. 

News: The Brewers added Heether to their 40-Man roster on Monday.
Impact: Heether, 27, hit .293/.400/501 with 16 home runs for Triple-A Nashville while playing multiple positions on the infield. The Brewers are interested in seeing if he could be used as a utility player in the majors. 

News: Weeks will miss the rest of the season because of a tear in his left wrist. The second baseman hurt himself while striking out Sunday in St. Louis. He had an MRI exam Monday, and it revealed the startling injury.
Impact: The oft-injured Weeks was hitting .272 with nine home runs and 24 RBIs. His homer total ranked second among NL second basemen behind Philadelphia's Chase Utley, who had 10. General manager Doug Melvin said Weeks had a torn sheath, which keeps the tendon in place in his wrist, and will likely have surgery this week. Recovery time is four to six months and surgery is likely on Wednesday. Craig Counsell filled both of Weeks' roles, second base and leadoff, on Monday. 

News: DiFelice's season is over due to problems with his surgically repaired right shoulder, MLB.com reports.
Impact: It's unclear whether DiFelice, who had a 3.66 ERA in 2009, will need another surgery. 

News: Riske is scheduled to have elbow surgery, and could miss the rest of the season.
Impact: The team says it's not clear whether the right-hander will need full reconstructive repair that would sideline him for up to a year. The extent of the damage won't be known until the doctor begins surgery on Tuesday. 

News: The Brewers also are weighing a decision on exercising a 2010 option on Looper, who went 14-7 with a 5.22 ERA last season.
Impact: Looper's 2010 option is for $6.5 million with a $1 million buyout because he pitched more than 180 innings last season. If Milwaukee exercises the option, Looper has the right to decline it but he would forfeit the buyout. 

News: The Milwaukee Brewers have declined a club option on Weathers for next season.
Impact: Weathers arrived in Milwaukee in a trade with Cincinnati in August and went 1-3 with a 4.88 ERA the rest of the year. 

News: The Brewers have declined David Weathers' 2010 option, making the veteran reliever a free agent, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
Impact: Weathers was solid again in 2009, posting a 3.92 ERA between the Reds and Brewers. Even at 40, he'll likely have no shortage of suitors this offseason. 

News: Brewers GM Doug Melvin said on Friday that outfielder Mike Cameron will not be back with the team in 2010 after the club acquired Carlos Gomez in a trade earlier in the day, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Impact: Cameron had a solid season at age 36 in 2009, batting .250 with 24 home runs and 70 RBI. He should find plenty of potential suitors this winter. 

News: The Brewers acquired Gomez on Friday from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for shortstop J.J. Hardy.
Impact: The 23-year-old Gomez was acquired by the Twins from the New York Mets last year. He batted .229 with three home runs and 28 RBI in 137 games with the Twins last season. 

News: Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is reporting that the Twins have traded speedy outfielder Carlos Gomez to the Brewers in exchange for shortstop J.J. Hardy.
Impact: Part of the Johan Santana deal, Gomez is a defensive whiz, as well, but hit just .248 in his two seasons in Minnesota. His arrival almost certainly spells the end of the Mike Cameron era, and the beginning of the Alcides Escobar one.  

News: The Brewers declined their club option on Weathers, making him a free agent.
Impact: The Brewers opted for a $400,000 buyout. Weathers will likely be able to find a team in need of bullpen help this winter. 

News: Patterson filed for free agency on Thursday.
Impact: Patterson may have kept his career going for one more season by hitting .331/.366/.597 in 29 games for Triple-A Nashville at the end of last season. He'll likely need to sign a minor league contract with a club this offseason. 

News: Catalanotto filed for free agency on Thursday.
Impact: Catalanotto filled in nicely as a bench player for the Brewers in 2009 and will be looking for a similar role next season. 

News: Kendall filed for free agency on Thursday.
Impact: Kendall hit .241/.331/.305 for the Brewers in 2010 and likely won't be brought back. He still may be able to hang on for a few more years if he's willing to assume a backup role. 

News: Lopez filed for free agency on Thursday.
Impact: Lopez is coming off one of his best seasons and is likely a Class A free agent. The Brewers may or may not offer him arbitration, but he's not in their plans for 2010. 

News: Cameron filed for free agency on Thursday.
Impact: Cameron is likely not heading back to Milwaukee now that they have traded for Carlos Gomez. He likely won't have a problem finding work elsewhere, though, as he still is strong defensively in CF and an above average hitter for that position. 

News: The Brewers' trade for Carlos Gomez means that Cain won't get a chance to win a center field spot in the near future.
Impact: Cain entered 2009 as a possible solution to the 2010 CF spot, but injuries and disappointing play derailed that. He'll start 2010 at Triple-A and still may have a future in Milwaukee. 

News: J.J. Hardy's trade to the Twins means that Escobar is assured of the starting shortstop job in 2010.
Impact: Escobar was very likely the starter anyway, but this just cements it. He won't hit for much power, but he brings top notch defense and can steal about 20 bases. 

News: Gomez has been traded to Milwaukee for J.J. Hardy, the Brewers' official web site reports.
Impact: It's odd that the Brewers would make a trade with Minnesota without getting any pitching prospects, but this move likely signals the end of Mike Cameron's tenure with the Brewers. 

News: Rodgers continues to struggle in the Arizona Fall League and he's now given up 15 runs (all earned) on 15 hits in 7.2 innings for Peoria.
Impact: It all amounts to a 17.61 ERA for Rogers through six appearances in the AFL. He's been named to the Rising Stars Showcase Game on Saturday night, but Rogers needs to show signs of turning things around against the advanced prospects in the league in order to get back on track following the early stages of a resurgence at High-A Brevard County in 2009. 

News: Lucroy is hitting .385 with two home runs through his first 26 at-bats in the Arizona Fall League.
Impact: Lucroy hit very well during the second half of the season at Double-A Huntsville and has kept it going through the fall. A good spring could allow him to make the Milwaukee roster to start the season.